Douglas John Bowen

Douglas John Bowen is Managing Editor of RAILWAY AGE. He also served as Editor of Intermodal Age from 1989 to 1991, and has held various positions at Inbound Logistics magazine, High Speed Transport News, The Journal of Commerce, and CNN/Money. Bowen began his journalism career at the Asbury Park Press, a New Jersey daily newspaper. A graduate of Rutgers University, Bowen resides in Hoboken, N.J. He served as president of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers (NJ-ARP) from 1987 to 2000 and again from 2004 to 2010, serving on the NJ-ARP board from 1984 until 2012; he remains a member of the statewide organization.

The Midwest High Speed Rail Association (MHSRA) says Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed state House Bill HB4078, strongly backed by the association, “which allows the Illinois Toll Highway Authority to use all of its existing powers to construct railroad tracks.” Such authority is generally, and often explicitly, banned in many states within the U.S.

Railway Age Publisher Jonathan Chalon and I were in the field Aug. 29 visiting a short line railroad in New England, a pleasant and informative experience in itself that we'll report on in the near future. But I got the two-fer that day: I met Jonathan in New Canaan, Conn., courtesy of Metro-North Railroad, one of the best regional passenger railroads in North America.

The city that led the U.S. trolley revival in 1981 will extend its Green Line service Sept. 2, linking downtown San Diego with the 12th and Imperial Transit Center. The project was celebrated during a ceremony Thursday at the Gaslmap Quarter Station, itself recently renovated.

Residents in New Orlean's French Quarter Thursday assured Railway Age by email that the city center was literally weathering Hurricane Isaac far better than expected, retaining electric power and phone service. But outlying city neighborhoods and suburbs often were being overwhelmed with water generated by heavy rain. All streetcar service remained suspended Thursday, the residents said.

U.S. Class I railroads once more logged mixed traffic results during the week ending Aug. 25, 2012, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. freight carload traffic slipped 0.8% from the comparable week in 2011, but U.S. intermodal volume advanced 5.2% for the week compared with a year ago.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit said Wednesday it is offering a "new fare system" to facilitate bus-to-rail transfers, and also offering a new discount midday pass, beginning Dec. 3. DART says the change is :"designed to encourage ridership during the parts of the day when DART has additional capacity."

Massachusetts reportedly is preparing to acquire Pan Am Railways right-of-way between Springfield, Mass., and the Vermont border, in order to facilitate passenger rail development on the "Knowledge Corridor." The price is pegged at about $17 million.

Erie, Pa.-based GE Transportation Friday unveiled its next Evolution Series locomotive that the company says "will decrease constituent emissions by more than 70% and save railroad customers more than $1.5 billion in infrastructure and operational costs."

Clearwater, Fla., has added its name to the list of those supporting development of a light rail transit (LRT) system for the Tampa Bay area, despite opposition from some self-described fiscal conservatives.

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Aug. 18 declined 2.1% compared with the same week in 2011, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume for the week, by contrast, rose 3.6% compared with the same week a year ago.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Aug. 23 it would appeal the decision by a state Supreme Court judge that a state tax on suburban businesses to help finance regional railroad service was unconstitutional.

Washington, D.C.'s District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has ordered a third streetcar from United Streetcar, LLC, a subsidiary of Clackamas, Ore.-based Oregon Iron Works, at a cost of $2.9 million.

Alexandria, Ohio-based Alternative Motive Power Systems (AMPS) said Tuesday it has selected 16 Corvus Energy industrial use lithium-ion AT6500-48V batteries for a prototype hybrid switching locomotive being developed by the company, with the help of a New Technology Research and Development (NTRD) grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Those registering for the upcoming RSI/CMA 2012 event at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, in Chicago Sept. 22-25, can expect to spend considerable time in the show's Exhibition Hall, according to RSI President Tom Simpson, who says the show's Exhibition Hall is "sold out."

L.B. Foster Co. Tuesday announced the appointment of John Kasel to senior vice president, Rail Business. In this new role, Kasel will be responsible for the performance and success of the company's rail related businesses, which will be combined under his leadership.